Batch ticket reader

ABSTRACT

Ticket reading apparatus is disclosed having a moving grooved belt for transporting tickets fed singly thereto by separator rollers controlled by a clutch and brake in relation to information recording speed. Reading is accomplished by at least two detectors spaced to read information along the length of the ticket regardless of end-for-end orientation. Each detector comprises a light source and photocell detector having a narrow rhombic aperture for optimum reading of tickets oriented longitudinally on the belt or only slightly skewed. There is also provided a ticket routing gate assembly operated by a switch enabled by the information recorder to divert tickets to one of two routes and to stack tickets which have not been properly read.

United States Patent 1 1' Tramposch [451 Feb. 12, 1974 BATCH TICKETREADER [75] Inventor: Herbert Tramposch, Riverside,

Conn.

[73] Assignee: Pitney-Bowes, Inc., Stamford, Conn' [22] Filed: Jan. 10,1972 [21] Appl. No.: 216,536

[52] US. Cl.. 209/74, 209/] 1 1.7, 271/62 B [51] Int. Cl. B07c 3/00 [58]Field of Search... 209/74, 111.7, 73; 271/62 B,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,343,672 9/1967 De Vries etal 209/11 1.7 X 3,245,533 4/1966 Rottmann 209/1 1 1.7 3,087,612 4/1963Duncan et al. 209/111.7 X

"Prim/ EBcarniner-Allen N. Knowles 'Zssitdiii'Eiiiir'iin'er-GEBE A.Church Attorney, Agent, or Firm-William D. Soltow, lr.; Albert W.Scribner; Martin D. Wittstein [57] ABSTRACT Ticket reading apparatus isdisclosed having a moving grooved belt for transporting tickets fedsingly thereto by separator rollers controlled by a clutch and brake inrelation to information recording speed. Reading is accomplished by atleast two detectors spaced to read information along the length of theticket regardless of i end-for-end orientation. Each detector comprisesa light source and photocell detector having a narrow rhombic aperturefor optimum reading of tickets oriented longitudinally on the belt oronly slightly 1 skewed. There is also provided a ticket routing gateassembly operated by a switch enabled by the information recorder todivert tickets to one of two routes and to stack tickets which have notbeen properly read.

12 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENIEU FEB 1 2|974 BATCH TICKET READER IBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to batch ticketreading apparatus and more particularly to such apparatus whereininformation may be read from a ticket oriented in more than one positionand wherein tickets which are properly read are separated from thosewhich have not been properly read.

Sheet material processing apparatus for counting and printing, cuttingor otherwise handling sheet material such as letters, bills, currency,tickets and the like have been known. Such machines, for example, may beof the general type disclosed in US. Pat. No. 2,378,250. Such machinesgenerally operate by means of one or more separator feed rollers whichpull single sheets from a stack of material, moves the sheets past acounting or imprinting station and then delivers the sheet material to astack or bin. in the operation of such sheet handling apparatus thesingle sheet material whether it be a document, piece of currency or aticket, generally pass one at a time past the counting of imprintingstation.

While such sheet handling devices are capable of counting or imprintingtickets, for example, the function of machine reading of the ticketwhile it is being processed is desirable in the handling of salestickets for retail merchandise. Such sales tickets may contain asubstantial amount of information in coded machine readable form as wellas alphanumeric and eye readable material. Thus it is desirable to havesheet material processing equipment which can singly processinformation-bearing sheets such as retail sales tickets and read andrecord the information relating to each sale represented by the ticket.

Problems airse however in the reading and sorting of tickets withrespect to the location of the machine readable information on theticket and the orientation of the ticket as it is stacked in the machinefor processing. It is impractical to have sorting of retail salestickets so that the machine readable codeis oriented in the properdirection as the ticket is being processed. For example theticket may bereversed end-for-end in the stack. Further, such tickets may be stackedupside down wherein the machine readable code faces away from thereading station as the ticket is being processed.

Accordingly it is an object of the present invention to provide a batchticket reader which can reliably read information from sheet materialssuch as retail sales ticket.

Another object of the invention is to provide a batch ticket reader ofthe above character wherein the ticket may be read from more than oneorientation as it is passed through the machine.

A further object of the invention is to provide a batch ticket reader ofthe above character which will reliably separate improperly read ticketsfrom those which have been properly read.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a batch ticketreader of the above character which optically reads informationfrom theticket.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in partappear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction,combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts which will bevexemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope ofthe invention will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention,reference should be had to the following detailed description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side diagrammatic view of the ticket transport, reading androuting assemblies of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of the routing gate assembly forseparating tickets which have been properly and improperly processed.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the ticket transport, reading and separationassembly of the invention.

FIG 4 is an enlarged partial view of the ticket routing switch.

FIG. 5 is a partial diagrammatic vieew of the reading station, takenalong lines 55 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 66 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged partial view of the rhombic aperture through whichreflected ticket information is read.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention comprises the combination of aticket reading station with ticket transport apparatus and the provisionof a routing gate and control assembly for separating properly processedtickets from those which have not been properly processed. The readingstation is provided with two or more detectors oriented to detectmachine readable information in at least one of two positions as theticket is moved past the reading station. The detectors preferablycomprise light sources and photocell detectors for receiving reflectedlight from the ticket through a shaped aperture inthe form of a narrowrhombus to provide for the reading of a ticket in a limited skewedposition. The reading station further is provided with a preamplifierfor each of the detectors for transmission 'of information to arecording and control unit. The routing gate and control assemblytherefore comprises a grooved transport belt for carrying the ticketwith the routing gate engaging the groove at the downstream end of thebelt. The gate is operable by a switch interposed between the readingstation and the gate and which is enabled by an on-off signal from therecording and control unit indicating whether or not the ticket has beenproperly read. Improperly read tickets will not actuate the gate and arerouted to a stacking assembly for reinsertion into the ticket readerafter the stack is turned upside down. Properly read tickets are routedto a bin.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As shown in FIG. 1 thebatch ticket reading apparatus of the invention comprises separatorrollers 10 for feeding one ticket at a time from a stack 12 of ticketsonto a grooved transport belt 14. Belt 14 moves the ticket to be readpast the reading station 16 and then past routing switch 18 and torouting gate assembly 20. Routing gate 20 separates properly readtickets from those not properly read and routes the improperly readtickets for stacking by wheel 22 or into bin 24 for those that areproperly read.

As shown in FIG. 3 the separator rollers 10 are driven on a shaft 26through a clutch 28 and brake 30. The

clutch and brake assemblies permit single ticket feed by rotating theseparator rollers as required to feed one ticket onto belt 14. Theclutch and brake assembly are operated by recording and control unit 75in response to a signal from photocell detector 34. A light source 32(FIG. 1) is cut off by a ticket as it is fed by the separator rollers10. When the ticket has passed between light source 32 and detector 34,a signal is generated and electrically transmitted via electricalconnection 31 to the recorder and control unit 75 and then viaelectrical connection 27 to stop the rotation of rollers 10. Actuationof the rollers 10 is again initiated by unit 75 through connection 27 tofeed another ticket. Thus the feed rate is geared to the speed withwhich the recorder can handle information from the tickets. A lightshield 25 is preferably around reading station 16.

The ticket transport belt 14 is driven by drive wheel 36 which isconnected by its shaft 38 to a power source (not shown). Idler wheels40, 41 support the belt top with the bottom portion of the belt passingunder idler wheel 43 and around end wheel 42 as shown in FIG. 1. Guiderollers 44, 46 initially urge the ticket into contact with the belt 14as the tickets are individually fed by the separator rollers 10. Idlerwheels 48 over the path of ticket movement keep the tickets infrictional contact with the belt.

As best seen in FIG. 3, guideways 50, 52 urge and keep the tickets inapproximate longitudinal orientation on the belt 14. Guideway 52 isfixed and is angled toward the belt 14 to urge the ticket into a morelongitudinal configuration as it comes under the reading station 16.

Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6 it will be seen that the reading stationcomprises three light sources 54, 56, 58 with associated apertures, 60,62, 64, picking up the reflected light from a ticket to be read. Eachlight source and pickup aperture is separated by a vertical divider 66,66 and behind each aperture 60, 62, 64 there is a lens 67 asrepresentively shown in FIG. 5 for magnifying the light signal andfocusing it through a rhombic aperture 68 to the photocell detector 70.The rhombic aperture will provide an optimum signal of striaght orslightly skewed tickets as they are carried on the belt. As shown inFIG. 7, the rhombic aperture 68 is narrow across its short dimension andpreferably a boutthe width of a line on the bar code to be read. Thusthe optimum signal from the bar code will be received by each detectorwhether the ticket is longitudinally straight on the belt or is slightlyskewed.

Signals from the photocell pickup are then amplified by preamplifier 72for transmission to recording and control unit 75 via electricalconnection 74 (FIG. 3). Typically the retail sales ticket 12a isimprinted with a bar code 12b of lines and spaces containing the machinereadable information. Thus as the ticket 12a is moved under the readingstation with the bar code facing upwardly, the information thereon willbe read through aperture 60 which is positioned over the bar code as itpasses thereunder as shown in FIG. 6. If the ticket is turnedend-for-end with the bar code facing upward the bar code will be readthrough aperture 62 since the ticket is guided by guides 50, 52 intoreading registry with one or the other of the apertrues 60, 62. Thelight source 58 and aperture 64 may be utilized for reading widertickets in which case guide 50 would be moved further apart from guide52 to accommodate such larger tickets.

In the event that the ticket is being fed under the reading stationupside down, that is without the bar code being exposed to any of thereading apertures, the ticket will be routed for reprocessing. For thosetickets which are properly read and the information thereof recorded,they will be routed past gate 20 and into bin 24.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the ticket routing gate assembly 20comprises gate member 76 which pivots about shaft 78 and which has endextensions 80, the central one of which extends into groove 82 on belt14. The groove 82 extends around the entire ticket carrying surface ofthe belt and provides a positive means for engagement of extension witha ticket carried by the belt. Thus when member 76 is in the positionshown in FIGS. 1 and 2 the ticket will be separated from the belt andpass between driven roller 84 and idler 86 and then will be stacked at88 by driven stacking wheel 22. The stacked tickets will generally bethose that have been fed to the reading station upside down, i.e., therewas no readable indicia exposed to the detectors. Accordingly, the wholestack 88 by be reprocessed by turning them upside down and reinsertingthem into the ticket reader in a stack as at '12.

If the ticket is properly read a signal is generated by the recorder andcontrol unit 75 to enable switch 18 through electrical connection 19(FIG. 3), the switch then being engaged by the read ticket. As shown inFIG. 4, switch 18 is provided with a depending arm 90 which extends intogroove 82 of belt 14. Thus the passing of a ticket on belt 14 engagesarm 90 to operate switch 18. If the switch has ben enabled by the ticketbeing properly read, solenoid 92 which is connected to the output ofswitch 18 through electrical connector 91, is operated to pivot member76 through arm 77 away from the belt, thus permitting the ticket to passthereunder and drop into bin 24. As best seen in FIG. 1, the switch 18is carried on a mounting assembly 18a which can be variably positionedby screw means along slot 18b in relation to reading station 16 withrespect to the speed of belt 14.

It should be understood that the term ticket as used in thespecification and claims herein should not be considered as limiting,but includes sheet material having machine readable information thereon,such as a retail sales ticket.

It will thus be seen that-the objects set forth above, among those madeapparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained and,since certain changes may be made in the above constructions withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention, it is intended that allmatter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanyingdrawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitingsense.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. Batch ticket processing apparatus, comprising in combination:

A. a reading station having means for reading information encoded ontickets to be processed;

B. feed means for moving tickets singly in a path adjacent said readingstation, 1. including guide means for substantially aligning the ticketbefore it passes said reading station;

C. recording and control means electrically connected to said readingmeans;

D. switch means positioned adjacent said feed path for actuation by aticket,

1. said switch means spaced downstream from said reading station alongsaid feed path,

2. said switch means being electrically connected to said recording andcontrol means and selectively enabled thereby;

E. ticket routing gate means interposed in said feed path and spaceddownstream from said switch means for diverting tickets to one of tworoutes, 1. said gate means being electrically energized through saidswitch means upon the coincidence of enablement by said recording andcontrol means and actuation by a ticket, whereby a ticket is diverted toone of said two routes depending upon whether or not information isaccurately read therefrom as determined and controlled by said recordingand control means.

2. Ticket processing apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein saidreading station comprises at least two light sources and at least twophotocell pickup devices for receiving receiving reflected light from aticket passing by said light soruces, each photocell device beingassociated with one of the light sources, said light sources and theirrespective photocell devices being separated by a light shield membermounted on said reading station and closely spaced to said ticket path.

3. Ticket processing apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein saidreading station comprises at least one light source and photocelldetector device as detector means for determining the configuration oflight reflected from a ticket, including an aperture between the ticketand said photocell detector device, said aperture being of rhombicconfiguration. v

4. Ticket processing apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said feedmeans comprises separator roller means for feeding tickets one at a timefrom a stack, said separator roller means being driven by a shaft havinga clutch and brake assembly connected thereto, and wherein there isprovided control means comprising a ticket detector adjacent saidseparator roller means and electrically connected to said recording andcontrol means to signal the beginning and end of a ticket, said clutchand brake assembly being electrically connected to and operable by saidrecording and control means in response to signals from said ticketdetector.

5. Ticket processing apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said feedmeans includes a ticket carrying belt having at least one groove in thedirection of belt travel on the ticket carrying side thereof and saidticket routing gate means comprises a pivotable member having at leastone extended portion normally positioned in said belt groove.

6. Ticket processing apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein saidreading station is provided with at least two light sources and twodetectors in adjacent positions and spaced apart in relation toinformation positioned on the tickets, each detector being adapted forseparate detection of information, whereby ticket information may beread regardless of end-for-end ticket orientation.

7. Ticket processing apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said ticketrouting gate means comprises a pivotable ticket gate member normallyheld closely adjacent to the feed path of said feed means, solenoidmeans connected to said gate member for pivotably moving said gatemember away from the feed path, said solenoid means being electricallyconnected to and operable by said swtich means, and ticket stackingmeans adjacent said gate member for stacking tickets in the sameorientation as the tickets were moved by said feed means.

8. Batch ticket processing apparatus comprising in combination:

A. a reading station having at least two detectors in adjacent relationfor separate detection of information on tickets to be processed;

B. feed means for moving tickets singly in a path adjacent said readingstation, including 1. a continuous moving belt having at least onegroove in its ticket carrying surface in the direction of belt travel,and

2. guides along said belt to urge the tickets into a substantiallylongitudinal orientation on said belt;

C. recording and control means electrically connected to said readingstation;

D. switch-means having an actuator arm extending into said groove ofsaid belt,

1. said switch means being spaced downstream from said reading stationalong said feed path,

and v 2. said switch means being electrically connected to and enabledby said recording and control means, and

E. a ticket routing gate assembly interposed in said feed path andspaced downstream from said switch means for diverting tickets to one oftwo routes,

comprising, I l. a gate member having guide extensions,

a. one of said guide extensions protruding into the groove of said belt,

2. a solenoid assembly connected to said gate mem 7 her for moving saidgate member toward and away from said belt, a. said solenoid beingconnected to and actuated by said switch means,

whereby information on a ticket may be detected by either of saiddetectors regardless of its end-for-end orientation and said switchmeans is enabled by information recorded from the ticket at saidrecording and control means and said switch is operated by the ticket toactuate said gate solenoid assembly to route the ticket. 9. Ticketprocessing apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said reading stationcomprises at least two light sources and photocell detectors, said lightsources and detectors being positioned to reflect light from the ticketand there are provided apertures through which the reflected light ispassed to said detectors, said apertures being of a narrow rhombicconfiguration, the

shortest transverse dimension thereof being about the width of barinformation on the ticket to be read.

10. Ticket processing apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein there isfurther provided a lens between the ticket and each detector formagnification of the reflected image from the ticket.

l1. Ticket processing apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein there isprovided ticket stacking means adjacent said gate member, comprisingrotating stacking wheel means for receiving tickets when said gatemembet is not moved away from said belt by said solenoid, and a ticketstack guideway whereby tickets not properly read at said reading stationwill be routed to and stacked by said stacking means.

controlled by electrical connection to said recording and control means,whereby tickets are fed to said belt at a rate in response to the'rateof information recorded by said recording and control means.

1. Batch ticket processing apparatus, comprising in combination: A. areading station having means for reading information encoded on ticketsto be processed; B. feed means for moving tickets singly in a pathadjacent said reading station,
 1. including guide means forsubstantially aligning the ticket before it passes said reading station;C. recording and control means electrically connected to said readingmeans; D. switch means positioned adjacent said feed path for actuationby a ticket,
 1. said switch means spaced downstream from said readingstation along said feed path,
 2. said switch means being electricallyconnected to said recording and control means and selectively enabledthereby; E. ticket routing gate means interposed in said feed path andspaced downstream from said switch means for diverting tickets to one oftwo routes,
 1. said gate means being electrically energized through saidswitch means upon the coincidence of enablement by said recording andcontrol means and actuation by a ticket, whereby a ticket is diverted toone of said two routes depending upon whether or not information isaccurately read therefrom as determined and controlled by said recordingand control means.
 2. said switch means being electrically connected tosaid recording and control means and selectively enabled thereby; E.ticket routing gate means interposed in said feed path and spaceddownstream from said switch means for diverting tickets to one of tworoutes,
 2. Ticket processing apparatus as defined in claim 1 whereinsaid reading station comprises at least two light sources and at leasttwo photocell pickup devices for receiving receiving reflected lightfrom a ticket passing by said light soruces, each photocell device beingassociated with one of the light sources, said light sources and theirrespective photocell devices being separated by a light shield membermounted on said reading station and closely spaced to said ticket path.2. a solenoid assembly connected to said gate member for moving saidgate member toward and away from said belt, a. said solenoid beingconnected to and actuated by said switch means, whereby information on aticket may be detected by either of said detectors regardless of itsend-for-end orientation and said switch means is enabled by informationrecorded from the ticket at said recording and control means and saidswitch is operated by the ticket to actuate said gate solenoid assemblyto route the ticKet.
 2. said switch means being electrically connectedto and enabled by said recording and control means, and E. a ticketrouting gate assembly interposed in said feed path and spaced downstreamfrom said switch means for diverting tickets to one of two routes,comprising,
 2. guides along said belt to urge the tickets into asubstantially longitudinal orientation on said belt; C. recording andcontrol means electrically connected to said reading station; D. switchmeans having an actuator arm extending into said groove of said belt, 3.Ticket processing apparatUs as defined in claim 1 wherein said readingstation comprises at least one light source and photocell detectordevice as detector means for determining the configuration of lightreflected from a ticket, including an aperture between the ticket andsaid photocell detector device, said aperture being of rhombicconfiguration.
 4. Ticket processing apparatus as defined in claim 1wherein said feed means comprises separator roller means for feedingtickets one at a time from a stack, said separator roller means beingdriven by a shaft having a clutch and brake assembly connected thereto,and wherein there is provided control means comprising a ticket detectoradjacent said separator roller means and electrically connected to saidrecording and control means to signal the beginning and end of a ticket,said clutch and brake assembly being electrically connected to andoperable by said recording and control means in response to signals fromsaid ticket detector.
 5. Ticket processing apparatus as defined in claim1 wherein said feed means includes a ticket carrying belt having atleast one groove in the direction of belt travel on the ticket carryingside thereof and said ticket routing gate means comprises a pivotablemember having at least one extended portion normally positioned in saidbelt groove.
 6. Ticket processing apparatus as defined in claim 1wherein said reading station is provided with at least two light sourcesand two detectors in adjacent positions and spaced apart in relation toinformation positioned on the tickets, each detector being adapted forseparate detection of information, whereby ticket information may beread regardless of end-for-end ticket orientation.
 7. Ticket processingapparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said ticket routing gate meanscomprises a pivotable ticket gate member normally held closely adjacentto the feed path of said feed means, solenoid means connected to saidgate member for pivotably moving said gate member away from the feedpath, said solenoid means being electrically connected to and operableby said swtich means, and ticket stacking means adjacent said gatemember for stacking tickets in the same orientation as the tickets weremoved by said feed means.
 8. Batch ticket processing apparatuscomprising in combination: A. a reading station having at least twodetectors in adjacent relation for separate detection of information ontickets to be processed; B. feed means for moving tickets singly in apath adjacent said reading station, including
 9. Ticket processingapparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said reading station comprisesat least two light sources and photocell detectors, said light sourcesand detectors being positioned to reflect light from the ticket andthere are provided apertures through which the reflected light is passedto said detectors, said apertures being of a narrow rhombicconfiguration, the shortest transverse dimension thereof being about thewidth of bar information on the ticket to be read.
 10. Ticket processingapparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein there is further provided a lensbetween the ticket and each detector for magnification of the reflectedimage from the ticket.
 11. Ticket processing apparatus as defined inclaim 8 wherein there is provided ticket stacking means adjacent saidgate member, comprising rotating stacking wheel means for receivingtickets when said gate member is not moved away from said belt by saidsolenoid, and a ticket stack guideway whereby tickets not properly readat said reading station will be routed to and stacked by said stackingmeans.
 12. Ticket processing apparatus as defined in claim 8 whereinsaid feed means includes a separator roller for initiating the singlefeeding of tickets onto said belt, said separator roller being driventhrough a brake and clutch assembly, said brake and clutch assemblybeing controlled by electrical connection to said recording and controlmeans, whereby tickets are fed to said belt at a rate in response to therate of information recorded by said recording and control means.